The theme of British Science Week 2020 is Our Diverse Planet. Here at the Rochester Bridge Trust we have chosen to tie this in with the development of our agriculture teaching resources, which represent our long-standing association with farmland in Kent.
Inspired by British Science Week, we have created an activity that schools, youth organisations and families can all enjoy, exploring the diversity that exists in plants – specifically the fruit we eat.
Starting off with the story of the Very Hungry Caterpillar, the activities encourage younger children to think about how fruits can differ in size, shape and colour, through exploring the foods the caterpillar eats. This is followed up by a hands-on workshop where children are encouraged to explore the textures and smells of the fruit, as well as their varied sizes, shapes and colours. We ask children to think about which fruits they have tried and what their favourites are.
Once the children have explored the huge diversity of fruit, they will prepare some of their fruit and make a “fruit rainbow” by selecting different colour fruit pieces and making their own fruit kebab – which they can enjoy eating! We explore the order of colours in the rainbow and get creative by drawing and colouring a rainbow.
This activity is suitable for children in a nursery, preschool or other EYFS setting, or children in Year R or Year 1 at school. It is important to engage children in the wonder of the world around them from a young age and this fun activity encourages even the youngest children to participate in STEM learning.
Download the activity: